 The first words spoken in the sold-out October 5th afternoon reading of Mark-Eugene Garcia’s With Bated Breath are courtesy of David Rigano as he introduces a character known as “Old Lady Warner”. She’s the owner of Warner’s Corner Store in the tiny town of Virgin, Minnesota (Population: 205.3) Played by the anything-but-old-lady-like Kirstin Wolf, with her “cat” on her lap, the introduction to this small-town saga PERFECTLY establishes the zany spirit of the show we were about to see… As it turns out, Wolf’s character boasts many of the play’s funniest one-liners. But let’s not get too far ahead… Most importantly, this “Old Lady” is skilled at storytelling… and what a story she has to tell!
With Bated Breath, written by Mark-Eugene Garcia, received a staged reading at New York City’s Under St. Mark’s Theatre as part of FRIGID NYC.
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 FRIGID New York has revealed the lineup of programming for their 28th season including the 4th annual Days of the Dead Festival, the 13th annual Gotham Storytelling Festival, the 16th Annual The Fire This Time Festival, and the 19th Annual New York City Fringe Festival (formerly FRIGID New YorK Festival). Their upcoming season will also include new productions from resident artists Mark-Eugene Garcia and Rodrigo Bolaños, Padraig Bond, and Something From Abroad. All programming takes place at UNDER St. Marks, unless otherwise noted. Most performances will also be available to stream from home.
 Theatre Rhinoceros, the longest-running LGBTQIA+ theatre anywhere, will present six mainstage productions this season ranging from brand new plays to Rhino favorites to musical theatre classics. Readings, workshops, and ESPs are produced by Amy and Derek Morgenstern, Henry Rosenthal, and John-Thomas Hansen. Othello, by William Shakespeare and directed by John Fisher, will hold performances September 26 through September 28. Who is telling the truth in this insane classic? Come find out when it gets the Rhino twist. The Break-Up! A Latina Torch Song is a world premiere that is written and performed by Tina D'Elia. It will be directed by Mary Guzman, and will run November 6 through November 23, 2025. Trina Maria, miserable in heartbreak-ville after she loses the Movie Butch of her dreams, stumbles into a mystical queer misfits “break-up” support group. Xmas Fun by the Rhino Artists will perform on December 18, 2025. Those crazy rhinos cut up in this holiday extravaganza. The performance is produced by Adrienne Hirt and Jeffrey Rodman. Left Field is a world premiere that is written and directed by John Fisher. The show will run February 18 through March 15, 2026. The country is getting its first gay president. La Cage Aux Folles will perform April 17 through May 11, 2026, with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and book by Harvey Fierstein. Set in gay, gay, gay St. Tropez, the Rolls Royce of queer musicals comes to The Castro. Finally, West Coast premiere Goat Blood will close out the season June 25 through July 19, 2026. The show is written by Mark-Eugene Garcia. Pablo and Own are sipping beers and fooling around in the flatbed of a truck, but something ancient and hungry is watching. About Theatre Rhinoceros Theatre Rhinoceros was founded in 1977 and is the longest running LGBTQ+ theatre in the nation. We develop and produce works of theatre that enlighten, enrich, and explore both the ordinary and the extraordinary aspects of our queer community. Our emphasis is on new works, works about under-represented members of the larger queer community, and revivals of lesser known queer classics. Over the years Theatre Rhinoceros has received many awards of recognition including: Theatre Rhinoceros Day in the City Proclamation from Mayor Gavin Newsom, State Assembly Certificate of Recognition from Senator Mark Leno, recognitions from Congressperson Nancy Pelosi and Assembly Persons Tom Ammiano and Carole Migden, numerous Cable Car, BATCC and TBA Awards and Nominations, and the GLAAD Media Award for Best LGBT Theatre. The Monsters We Know: Mark-Eugene Garcia’s Book Signing at the Drama Book Shop- INSC Magazine7/8/2025 Before summer theater descends into festival frenzy and outdoor spectacle, June gave us something far more satisfying: three emotionally potent evenings that bypassed bombast and landed, instead, directly in the chest.
In different corners of New York’s downtown scene, artists found fresh ways to say the unsayable—whether through myth, mime, or the ticking countdown of a mechanical heart. Here’s a closer look at three performances that continue to linger well into July. This year, Candela welcomes 16 outstanding musical theatre writers and playwrights from across the globe into its 2025 cohort. By: Emmy Rice  Candela, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to expanding access to theater education for playwrights, book writers, and lyricists of Latin American and Caribbean heritage, has announced the fellows selected for its third annual Playwrights Summer Fellowship program, a.k.a. Summer Jam.
Founded by writer/director and professor Darrel Alejandro Holnes, and co-directed by scholar/director and professor Dr. Daphnie Sicre, the fellowship this year is a beacon for musical theatre writers and playwrights 21+ who seek access to writing workshops, craft talks, mentorship, and a supportive artistic community led by some of Broadway and Off-Broadway's greatest musical theater writers and playwrights -free of cost. Fables Folklore and Farces: A conversation with Mark-Eugene Garcia The enthusiastic audience in the Drama Book Shop consisted of people that knew Mark’s plays, had worked on, or been in Mark’s plays, and me, who only knew Mark through my many visits to the Drama Book Shop, and his musical “Shining in Misery” which I am mildly obsessed with.
Mark is a natural storyteller and his playwriting arc over the last two decades was filled with humor and humility.  The Drama Book Shop presents, in association with Jay Michaels Global Communications, Fables, Folklore, and Farce- A Conversation With Mark-Eugene Garcia
A talkback, signing and live podcast recording. About the Plays EIGHT TALES OF PEDRO The story begins in 17th century Mexico, as Pedro and his companion travel from a small port town into the fabled Veracruz, telling stories while following Pedro’s one true love. Meanwhile, in the present day, in a van full of Mexican immigrants, Peter crosses a border into an unfamiliar country, while his companions tell him stories to chase away his fears. The two storytellers risk everything as their lives and plots intertwine. GOAT BLOOD Pablo and Owen thought they were in for a simple double date with two women they’d just met at a bar. Instead, under the cover of night, something ancient is watching them. Something hungry. For Pablo, the darkness hides more than just nerves—it holds a past he’s spent years trying to outrun. When the Chupacabra emerges from the shadows, the night turns to terror, and their evening spirals into a desperate fight for survival. But this is no ordinary monster. It is hunger and grief. It is guilt and memory. It is the thing Pablo has feared facing ever since the night he lost his little brother. As the creature closes in, the men must confront not just the beast, but their own buried truths—about where they come from, what they want, and what they are willing to do to stay alive. Because sometimes, the most relentless monsters are the ones we carry inside. WITH BATED BREATH When a company that produces a sexual enhancement drug relocates to a religious factory town in northern Minnesota, and its fumes begin to enter the air, the puritanical beliefs of the townspeople begin to waver. Long held inhibitions release and untold secrets spurt forth as the town spills into debaucherous revelry. For the pious Pastor Johnson, it means the arrival of the devil. For the tempting Dr. Corazon De La Fuente, who runs the factory, it is a wonder to be studied. Stuck in the middle is Mayor Frankie, anxiously watching as his town populace begin giving into wildest urges. Fargo meets Frankenfurter in this wacky comedy that is based on true events until it’s not. -With Bated Breath began in 2003 when playwright Mark-Eugene Garcia stumbled upon a fluff news story about a small Irish town claiming its residents were affected by fumes from a nearby Viagra plant. While Pfizer dismissed the claim as impossible, Mark-Eugene couldn’t help but wonder—what if it wasn’t? At the time, he and his writing collaborator, composer Jeff Thomson, were searching for a new musical concept. When Mark-Eugene pitched the idea, they jumped on it, crafting an original and outrageous story set in a small Minnesota town affected by a pharmaceutical plant explosion that turns its residents into sex zombies. Over the next year, the team developed the show through The Academy for New Musical Theatre (now New Musicals Inc.), under the direction of Scott Guy and Elise Dewsberry. The piece was presented in a series of workshops and performances over the following two years, culminating in a two-night run at the Colony Theatre in Burbank in 2005. About the Author Mark-Eugene Garcia is an award winning Chicano playwright and a proud member of the Dramatists Guild. He is a graduate of the City College of New York and studied book and lyric writing with the Academy of New Musical Theatre and the BMI Lehman Engle Musical Theatre Writing Workshop. Productions include EIGHT TALES OF PEDRO (The Secret Theatre, The Queens Theatre) SHINING IN MISERY: A KING-SIZE PARODY (Capital City Theatre, 54 Below) GOAT BLOOD (Mexfest, Days of the Dead/FrigidNYC) STANDBY (Towle Theatre, New York International Fringe Festival- Encores Selection, New York Musical Theatre Festival, Next Link Selection), THE HOLY COWS OF CREDENCE SOUTH DAKOTA (Planet Connections Theatre Festival, Puzzle Theatre Festival) FACING EAST: A NEW MUSICAL (Jericho Arts Center) and UNMISSED CONNECTIONS (Planet Connections Theatre Festival) Other Plays include FLAKE OF SNOW, WITH BATED BREATH, WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR , ONE NIGHT AT THE GOLDEN BOOT, INSCRIPTIONS, and KEYS. As a Dramaturg, Mark has collaborated with The New York Musical Festival on the productions of TEMPLE OF THE SOULS, EMOJILAND, KAFKA’S METAMORPHOSIS, and ILLUMINATI LIZARDS FROM OUTER SPACE. He has also collaborated with the Fresh Fruit Festival with PARTITIME In addition to his writing career, he is also part of the Management Team of The Drama Bookshop and co-hosts THE DRAMA BOOK SHOW! on the Broadway Podcast Network. We kindly ask that you review the following information before reserving your spot: This Eventbrite ticket is your reservation for the event. Please note that the purchase of “Eight Tales of Pedro” “With Bated Breath” or “Goat Blood” ($ 11.95- $16.00) required for entry. Upon arrival, our team will direct you to the register to obtain your copy and complete your admission. The store will begin welcoming guests at 7:15 pm. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]. In the event of the event being sold out. Please email Events@Dramabookshop to be added to the Waiting List Mark-Eugene Garcia on Public Nudity, Healthy Aging, and Latiné Identity, on Tub Talks With Damon4/29/2025 Premiered Apr 29, 2025 #bodypositivity #menshealth #writingMark-Eugene Garcia has spent the past two decades connecting with New Yorkers through his writing, acting, and co-managing the cherished Drama Book Shop in Times Square. What lessons is he learning about healthy aging, body positivity, embracing identity, and being fully naked on screen?
0:00 - Mark shares what he likes about his naked body at age 44, and how he has been seeking ways to be healthy. How does one have confidence being naked on film even when they're not feeling confident? 12:23 -- Are younger people today more uncomfortable with public nudity today? How does Mark deal with filming naked sex scenes on movie sets? How does he feel about intimacy coordinators? 26:00 -- Mark traces his dream of moving to New York at age 26 from Covina, California, to write. How did the script for "With Bated Breath" come to evolve?  A Chupacabra could be creeping onto your stage, your shelf… or breathing down your neck! Goat Blood is officially joining the Theatrical Rights Worldwide family and could be in your hands very soon! Get ready for spooks, laughs, and Latino folklore—served with a side of boys, birria, and blood.
 At the Days of the Dead Festival at UNDER St. Marks, Goat Blood brings a mix of horror and humor. Written by Mark-Eugene Garcia, the play follows co-workers Owen and Pablo, waiting for their dates in the woods. As the night unfolds, they confront not only their feelings for each other but also a lurking threat: the chupacabra, a creature from Latin American folklore. The play navigates between lighthearted banter and suspense, exploring themes of fear, identity, and desire while twisting classic horror tropes.
 By Jim Catapano- Arts Independent
Riverside, California, 2010: Friends and co-workers Pablo (Sergio Caetano) and Owen (Hraban Luyat) are in a pickup truck by the woods. They are waiting for their gummies to kick in and for their dates to arrive. But they might as well be waiting for Godot—because due to a secret sabotage, the women are not going to show. And now the pair have their own complicated feelings for each other to confront—as well as, eventually, a very real monstrous entity lurking in the shadows (design by Coyote Caliente).
A Taste of Youth is the world’s first queer, fat-positive horror feature film, from the twisted mind of Joshua R. Pangborn and SideKick Productions. Starring Mark-Eugene Garcia (Demon Doctor), and co-directed by Pangborn and beloved bear musician Nakia, the film is sure to shock and delight audiences with cinematography by Catalin Stelian and special makeup effects by the talented Paul Antzoulis.
Mark-Eugene Garcia Guests On TriVersity Talk! With Host Wendy Stuart 7 PM ET Wednesday, 10/23/2410/21/2024  Wendy Stuart will be hosting TriVersity Talk! this Wednesday at 7 PM ET with featured guest Mark-Eugene Garcia. TriVersity Talk! is a weekly web series with featured guests discussing their lives, activism and pressing issues in the LGBTQ Community. With TriVersity Talk!, the goal is to laugh and learn. TriVersity Talk! Is part of TriVersity’s ICARE Initiative. ICARE stands for Increasing Community Awareness through Relevant Education. ICARE Programs are generously funded by The Greater Pike Community. Mark-Eugene Garcia (Playwright) is an award-winning Chicano playwright and a proud member of the Dramatists Guild but is most known for reliving his high school theatre days on Encore! with Kristen Bell on ABC. He is a graduate of the City College of New York and studied book and lyric writing with the Academy of New Musical Theatre and the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Writing Workshop. His productions include Eight Tales of Pedro (The Secret Theatre, Queens Theatre), Shining In Misery: A King-Size Parody (Capital City Theatre, 54 Below), Standby (Towle Theatre, New York International Fringe Festival - Encores Selection, New York Musical Theatre Festival - Next Link Selection), The Holy Cows of Credence South Dakota (Planet Connections Theatre Festival, Puzzle Theatre Festival), Facing East: A New Musical (Jericho Arts Center), and Unmissed Connections (Planet Connections Theatre Festival). In addition to his writing career, he is part of the Management Team of The Drama Bookshop and co-hosts The Drama Book Show! on the Broadway Podcast Network. Watch TriVersity Talk! Live on Wednesday at 7 PM ET on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/@TriVersityCenter The official website for the TriVersity Center may be found at: https://www.triversitycenter.org Subscribe and listen to TriVersity Talk! on Apple Podcasts/iTunes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/triversity-talk/id1614158419
Mark-Eugene joined Andre Cortes on Stage Whisper, to talk about Goat Blood, Horror, Latine identity and Musical Theatre.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz
Latine Folklore, Queer Identity, and a Dark Exploration of PERSONAL DEMONS mixed in a cauldron of Goat Blood! October 18, 19 and 26, Under St. Marks, 94 St Marks Pl, New York. Written by Mark-Eugene Garcia and directed by Rodrigo Ernesto Bolanos, "Goat Blood" is a supernatural thriller infused with Latine folklore, queer identity, and a dark exploration of personal demons. At its core, the play follows Pablo and Owen, two coworkers waiting in the woods for a casual double date. What begins as lighthearted banter turns into something much deeper as Pablo's haunted past resurfaces in the form of a terrifying Chupacabra-an ancient monster tied to his roots. The cast includes Sergio Caetano, Gabriel Rosario, Hraban Luyat and Coyote Caliente  (New York, NY) – Goat Blood, an exciting new play, will have a staged reading at The Tank as part of the highly anticipated MexFest on September 19th. Directed by acclaimed director Rodrigo Ernesto Bolaños (Eight Tales of Pedro), and penned by award-winning playwright Mark-Eugene Garcia (Eight Tales of Pedro, Shining in Misery: A King-Size Parody), the reading will star a talented cast including Sergio Caetano, Billy Peck, and Gabriel Rosario.
Set on the outskirts of town in the back of a pickup truck, Goat Blood tells the story of two coworkers, Pablo and Owen, who find themselves waiting for their dates. What begins as a lighthearted conversation about tacos, friendship, and heritage soon deepens into something more—a potent attraction sparking beneath their playful banter. However, their connection takes a chilling turn with the arrival of a menacing Chupacabra, an unsettling presence that threatens to shatter their peaceful evening. Owen's fear of the creature is nothing compared to the revelation that the Chupacabra has been a dark part of Pablo's life all along.  In the very first opening number of Shining in Misery: A King-Size Parody, which enjoyed a one-night-only performance at New York City’s famous venue 54 Below on Wednesday, May 8, I had already envisioned a new drinking game: Take a shot of something (Perhaps a gin martini, in homage to Jack Torrance…) for every reference to Stephen King’s vast canon, starting with “Miss Desjardin”, to meeting Danny Torrance, to a 1958 red and white Plymouth Fury, and MANY more… But it soon became apparent that any King fan would suffer from alcohol poisoning before the hooky finale of the bombastic first song, A Greener Mile. The audience that night, which ranged from garden variety theater lovers to Stephen King megafans, clearly appreciated the seemingly infinite number of Kingly references– some of which were SOOOO subtle that only the hardest of hardcore “Richard Bachman” fans would pick them up. Shining in Misery, featuring music by Andrew Abrams, lyrics/book by Mark-Eugene Garcia, and book by Colleen Duvall, also fulfills some long-gestating “Constant Reader” fantasies.
 Shining in Misery, A King-Size Parody is Children of the Corn-y in all the best ways.BY
By: Nathan Johnson When Shining in Misery took over 54 Below, it was packed tighter than the ball room of the Overlook Hotel on July 4, 1921. The May 8th show started with a delightfully ominous number (with killer harmonies and orchestrations) as Jack, Wendy, Danny Torrance and their nanny Annie Wilkes head to the Overlook Hotel. This quickly set the tone and, within seconds, the audience was laughing. The madcap adventure took us on a tour de force celebration of some of Stephen King’s most beloved characters, brimming with so many references that even the biggest King aficionado would have their work cut out for them. And it’s not only King who earns the honor of a parody—no musical theatre show or pop culture icon was safe (watch out Annie and Hamilton, IT is coming for you)!  Bear World Magazine Award nominee for Best Bear Artist, Mark-Eugene Garcia, is part of the creative team behind Shining in Misery: A KING-Size Parody which will be making its NYC debut at 54 Below on May 8th. Shining in Misery is a unique, musical parody of Stephen King’s most treasured works. Five people are drawn to the “shining” lights of the Overlook Hotel during one “misery” of a blizzard! The group includes Jack: the hotel’s new caretaker, Wendy: his unhappy wife, Danny: their clairvoyant son, Annie: a quick to anger nurse, and Paul: the mysterious unconscious man she drags up to room 217. As the storm grows, so do the mysteries of the hotel and the new guests sing and vocalize while hacking an onslaught of visitors — human, animal, and supernatural. Get your tickets now to see if the group will be able to harmonize through “it”, take a “stand”, or perhaps even fade into “the mist”! Written during the pandemic, the show is a love letter to the horror master and is an unforgettable celebration of the works of Stephen King with music by Andrew Abrams (But I’m a Cheerleader, the Musical), direction from Donald Garverick (Off- Broadway: The Office!- a Musical Parody and 90210-The Musical), musical direction by Evan Lange (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 regional premiere) and a book cowritten by Colleen DuVall (White Zombie) and Mark-Eugene Garcia who also wrote the show’s lyrics which includes songs such as: “Greener Mile,” “Squint Through The Shining,” “Number One Fan,” (and many more). 
This week Josh got the chance to sit down with Colleen Duvall, Mark-Eugene Garcia, and Andy Abrams. The team that brought to life the Stephen King musical parody of our dreams. Tune in as we discuss “Shining in Misery: A KING-size Parody”. The ups, the downs, and all the hilarity in between! For everything “Shining in Misery” www.shininginmisery.com To support their next performance https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sh...  Mark-Eugene Garcia is a a Mexican/Honduran playwright and actor. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and A.S.C.A.P. Bear audiences will recognize him as one of the lead actors in Sidekick Productions’ Demon Doctor. He has also guested on Skeleton Crew and is slated to star in the upcoming A Taste of Youth.
(sexy photo after break) |
Mark-Eugene GarciaWriter/Actor/Storyteller. Theatre Maker. Husband. Bad Hombre. Cat Taunter. ContentsArchives
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